March 1, 2006
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. During the last
eight months in the United States, we have spoken in many churches,
seen family, renewed friendships, and made new friends. At the
same time, as we speak about our work, our desire increases to
know the current updates about the lives of our friends that we
worked with in Brazil. We are excited about being on interpretation
assignment through June 2006 and then to return to new work in
Brazil this summer. We miss our friends in Brazil, but are excited
to know that the church is growing.
Fazenda Grande, the organized church, with which we worked in
Salvador, a city of over two and a half million people, is doing
well. They called a Brazilian pastor and realized that they are
gifted individuals. The children’s choir is larger and has
reached local children, performing various times in the neighborhood.
New residents in the city have come to the church and are providing
new ideas and insights.
While we were there we saw the faith of a small girl, Manuela,
grow significantly as she grew from a 4- to an 8-year-old. Her
mother and grandmother have a small Christian pre-school. Her
grandfather is a good man. He has many questions about their faith.
After we left, Manuela had an accident that caused brain hemorrhage
and temporary paralysis. As a result of seeing the Lord answer
prayer and how the church supported her family during her recovery,
the extended family drew closer to the Lord Jesus Christ. Three
cousins proclaimed Jesus as Lord and Savior, and at least one
other regularly attends church now. Please pray their faith will
continue to be strengthened and that the work in Fazenda Grande
will reach new people.
We just finished a course at Columbia Theological Seminary on
evangelism in emerging cultures (i.e. how to do evangelism in
today’s world). We were stretched and encouraged. The methods
we use today to communicate the good news of the gospel must change;
the unchanging message of Jesus Christ remains central to all
of life.
The new work near the airport, which was begun while we were
there, continues. It is still small, but has strong, slowly growing
programs. The work has a firmly committed Brazilian couple as
their leader. Renato and Elizangela and their two daughters, ages
8 and 4, live above the sanctuary and provide a wonderful example
of a Christian family in challenging circumstances. They work
full-time at the church. Renato studies at night in a local seminary,
hoping to be an ordained pastor in five years. He spends more
than two hours a night on the bus to attend his seminary classes.
Our son John is enjoying his freshman year at Presbyterian College
in Clinton, South Carolina. Elizabeth is in eleventh grade and
Daniel is in sixth grade in public school, anxiously awaiting
our return to Brazil in late June.
It is a joy to be able to tell others about church planting in
Brazil. Please pray for us as we travel and study some at Columbia
Theological Seminary while at the same time prioritizing family
time.
In Christ,
Gordon and Dorothy Gartrell
The 2006 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 45 |
